A section of an under-construction Metro rail bridge collapsed near Leela Hotel in suburban Marol on Tuesday, killing one person and wounding 16 others. Though the incident shocked Mumbaikars, residents living near the project site alleged that the mishap was waiting to happen. They said poor safety measures at the project site is the main reason for the mishap.
“I don’t think they are following any safety measures,” said Congress MLA from Vile Parle Krishna Hegde, who visited
the accident site. Hegde questioned if workers were given safety gears like harnesses and helmets. “They are doing the work of slab piling during monsoon,” he pointed out, while seeking a stability report and third party safety audit of projects, which are under construction, like the Metro railway.
“Had the safety measures been taken, no such accidents would have taken place,” said former Shiv Sena corporator Tukaram Nikam. He demanded that labourers be put in place to regulate the traffic flow where the line was under construction. “No construction work must be done during heavy rains, as the soil strength is already weakened,” he added.
Nikam charged that the Metro stations were too close to buildings and built up areas instead of being close to open spaces. The 11.40km route has 12 elevated stations. “There are no lights under the Metro railway stations, it is very difficult to walk or drive underneath them, especially at night and during the monsoon,” said a local resident.
Meanwhile, the Sahar police is in the process of registering a case of negligence against Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), the contractor for the project. Senior police inspector J Giram of the Sahar police station said, “The investigation is going on. There are chances that a case will be registered under sections 304A (for causing death due to negligence), 337 (for causing hurt) and 338 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the concerned person of the HCC.”
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority plans to commission the Rs2,356 crore Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro railway project in 2013 .
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